Olympia rally calls for stronger gun control laws

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OLYMPIA, Wash. - On this day 14 years ago the world watched as evil darkened a beautiful spring day.

Two young men held Columbine High School hostage. They killed 12 of their peers - and murdered a teacher.

Now a group of local mothers, fathers, neighbors and religious leaders is using the anniversary of that dark day to take aim at gun control, gathering together for a rally in Olympia.

Those of all faiths were there to remember the innocent lives lost to gun violence. Fifteen people died at Columbine High School, including the gunmen, on April 20, 1999. Twenty-four others were injured.

"So we are continuing their voices ... and the other hundreds of thousands of people who have been affected by this," says Jocelyn Wood, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a group that calls for "common sense" gun control.

The group, together with members of the Puget Sound faith community, marched to the state Capitol to call for stronger gun laws, including universal background checks, high-capacity ammunition magazine limits and more.

State Sen. Karen Fraser was there, too. "Our political system should not be useless. We demand action.”

And there were some gun rights supporters as well, including Devyn Hembry, who said additional laws aren’t the solution.

"The gun violence comes from a social problem. It’s not that it comes from hatred - it’s social issues," he says.

So the dialogue and discussion about the right to bear arms continued in the state Capitol, with no real change.

"Nothing's changed, nothing's changed. I just think the apathy of the nation on this is troubling," said gun reform supporter Kylie Phillip.

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